Malachi 3
1 Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way for me. The Lord you are seeking will suddenly arrive at his Temple. The messenger of the agreement you say is so happy with you is coming, says the Lord Almighty.
看，我要派遺我的使者，在我前面預備道路。你們所尋求的主宰，必要忽然進入衪的殿內；你們所想望盟約的使者，看，他來了──萬軍的上主說。
2 Who can survive the day when he comes? Who can stand before him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing furnace that refines metal, or like the strong alkali that cleanses stains.
但是衪來臨之日，有誰能支得住﹖衪顯現時，有誰能站立得住﹖因為衪像煉金者用的爐火，又像漂布者用的滷汁
3 He will sit down like a refiner who purifies silver; he will purify Levi's descendants and refine them like gold and silver so they can present pure offerings to the Lord.
衪必要坐下，像個溶化和煉淨銀子的人，煉淨肋未的子孫，精煉他們像精煉金銀一像，使他們能懷著虔誠，向上主奉獻祭品：
4 Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as they did in the old days, in the former years.
那時，猶大和耶路撒冷所獻的祭品，必能悅樂上主，有如昔日和往年。
5 I will come and put you on trial. I am ready to be a witness against those who: practice witchcraft commit adultery tell lies give false evidence cheat employees oppress widows and orphans abuse foreigners and do not respect me, says the Lord Almighty.
那時，我必前來你們接近，執行審判，迅速作證反對術士、犯奸和發虛誓的人，反對欺壓傭工，寡婦和孤兒的人，反對侵害外方人的權利，而不敬畏我的人──萬軍的上主說。
6 For I am the Lord, I don't change, and you haven't stopped being descendants of Jacob.
是的，我是上主，決不改變；但你們總是雅各伯的子孫!
7 From the time of your forefathers onward, you have turned away from my laws and not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, “How should we return?”
自從你們祖先的日子以來，你們就離棄了我的法令，而不遵守。現在你們轉向我吧! 我必轉向你們──萬軍的上主說。你們卻說：「我們應怎樣轉向你呢﹖」
8 Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me! But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?” In tithes and offerings.
人豈能欺騙天主﹖可是你們卻欺騙了我! 你們卻說：「我們在什麼事上欺騙了你﹖」即在什一和應獻的祭物上。
9 You are under a curse, for you and the whole nation are defrauding me.
他們全體人民! 你們必要遭受嚴厲的詛咒，因為你們都欺騙了我。
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there will be food in my Temple. Put me to the test in this, says the Lord Almighty, and I will open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won't have enough room for it.
你們應把什一之物送入府庫，好使卜殿宇存有食糧。你們就在這事上試試我吧! ──萬軍的上主說──看我是否給你們開啟天閘，將祝福傾注在你們身上，直到你們心意滿足。
11 I will prevent locusts from destroying your crops, and your vineyards will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord Almighty.
我必要為你們嚇走那舌食者，不容牠再損害你們的田產，也不讓你們田間的葡萄樹不結果實──萬軍的上主說。
12 All nations will call you blessed because you live in such a wonderful land, says the Lord Almighty.
萬民都要稱你們有福，因為你們將成為一片樂土──萬軍的上主說。
13 You have said hard things about me, says the Lord. But you say, “What have we said against you?”
上主說：「你們竟然敢用言語頂撞我。你們卻說：「我們在什麼話上頂撞了你﹖」
14 You have said, “What's the point of serving God? What benefit is there in keeping his commandments or going before the Lord Almighty with long faces?
即在你們說：「事奉天主只是徒然! 遵守衪的誡命，在萬軍的上主面前，穿苦衣而行，有什麼好處﹖
15 From now on we'll say that the proud are blessed. Evil people do well, and nothing happens when they dare God to punish them.”
現在我們該稱驕傲人有福；作惡的人，居然順利，試探天主的人居然免罰! 」
16 Then those who truly respected the Lord spoke to each other, and the Lord heard what they said. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence of those who respected the Lord and paid attention to him.
這是敬畏上主的人彼此談論的。但上主都加以注意而聽見了，並且在衪面前的記錄簿上，為那些敬畏上主和投靠衪名號的人予以記錄了。
17 They shall be mine, says the Lord Almighty, my prized possession on the day when I take action. I will treat them kindly, as a father treats an obedient son.
在我行事的時日──萬軍的上主說──他們必是屬於我的產業，我要憐愛他們，有如人憐愛服事自己的兒子。
18 Then you will once again be able to distinguish those who do right from those who do wrong, between those who serve him and those who don't.
你們將要重新看出義人和惡人，服事天主和不服事天主的人的區別。
